Oldest female jaguar in US zoo captivity dead at 22

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Florida officials say the oldest female jaguar in zoo captivity in the United State has died at the age of 22.

The Palm Beach Zoo said Nabalam was diagnosed with kidney problems in January and underwent a medical procedure on Thursday. The surgery revealed the jaguar had terminal cancer, and had masses in her uterus and cysts on her ovaries.

Zoo officials said they didn't want her to live in pain or risk a potentially fatal surgery and decided not to wake her from the anesthesia.

The Sun Sentinel reports her 12-year-old daughter lives at the zoo.

Jan Steele, the zoo's director of wildlife care and conservation, says Nabalam also has 16 living descendants and is responsible for producing 3.2 percent of the 121 jaguars currently living in zoos in the US and 11 percent of the 149 jaguars found in zoos throughout North America.

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